Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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VACUUM CLEANER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vacuum cleaner, and more
particularly, to a vacuum cleaner in which either a disposable paper filter or
a
permanently reusable filter is mounted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, a vacuum cleaner has a basic structure in which dust and
dirt are drawn in together with air by a suction force, which is generated at
a suction
port by a vacuum-generating device, and the dust and dirt are separated and
collected from the air by a dust-collecting means.
The vacuum-generating device comprises a vacuum motor, which is
disposed in a cleaner body. The cleaner body is provided with a motor chamber
in
which the vacuum motor is mounted and a dust-collecting chamber is in fluid
communication with the motor chamber. The dust-collecting means is mounted in
the dust-collecting chamber, and the dust-collecting chamber is connected to
the
suction port via an extension pipe.
When the vacuum motor is driven, it generates a powerful suction force at
the suction port. Due to the suction force, the air, including the dust and
dirt, is
drawn in through the suction port and flows into the dust-collecting means
mounted
in the dust-collecting chamber of the cleaner body. While the air passes
through the
dust-collecting means and is discharged out of the cleaner body, the dust and
dirt are
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collected at the dust-collecting means without passing through the dust-
collecting
means.
Generally, such a vacuum cleaner uses a paper filter as the dust-collecting
means. The paper filter is a disposable product that has to be replaced with a
new
filter when the filter becomes full of dirt. Accordingly, replacement paper
filters
cause an increase in the cost associated with use of the vacuum cleaner.
Meanwhile, a vacuum cleaner employing a reusable filter, instead of a
disposable paper filter, has been recently developed. This reusable filter may
be
removed from a cleaner body to be emptied out when it becomes full of dirt.
Since
the vacuum cleaner employing the reusable filter can repeatedly use the
filter, it
solves the above problem of the cost increase due to the replacement of a
disposable paper filter.
However, the vacuum cleaner employing the reusable filter has a different
dust-collecting chamber from that of the vacuum cleaner employing the
disposable
paper filter. Therefore, reusable filters cannot be employed as a substitute
for paper
filters in the vacuum cleaner designed to use paper filters. That is, there is
no
compatibility in using the reusable filter in the two types of vacuum cleaner.
Thus, it
is required for a manufacturer to develop a separate vacuum cleaner employing
the
paper filter and a vacuum cleaner employing the reusable filter. Accordingly,
costs
increase for the research and development of two separate product lines, and
costs
increase for the manufacturing equipment. Also, there is the problem that a
consumer has to bear the increased costs for the two types of vacuum cleaner.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in order to solve the above-noted
problems in the related art. Accordingly, it is an object of the present
invention to
provide a vacuum cleaner in which both a disposable paper filter and a
reusable filter
may be selectively mounted. Accordingly, the advantages of reducing the
investment in the development of products, equipment to manufacture the
products,
and in reducing the maintenance and repair costs to the consumer arise.
In order to achieve the above objects, a vacuum cleaner is provided
according the present invention, comprising: a cleaner body having a motor
chamber
in which a vacuum motor is mounted and a dust-collecting chamber which is
divided
from the motor chamber by a partition and is in fluid communication with the
motor
chamber via a passage path formed on the partition, the dust-collecting
chamber
being provided with an air inflow hole formed at a side thereof and having
access to
the outside; and a dust-collecting means mounted in the dust-collecting
chamber of
the cleaner body, for separating and collecting dust and dirt from the air
that is drawn
in through the air inflow hole, wherein the dust-collecting means includes a
disposable paper filter and a reusable filter, and the dust collecting chamber
is
provided with a filter supporting means for stably supporting either the paper
filter
or the reusable filter.
The filter supporting means comprises a pair of first fixing guides disposed
at
both sidewalls of the air inflow hole of the dust-collecting chamber, and
which are
opposed to each other, for supporting the paper filter mounted in the dust-
collecting
chamber; and pairs of second and third fixing guides disposed at both
sidewalls of
the dust-collecting chamber, each pair opposed to each other and having a
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predetermined distance from each other, the second and third fixing guides for
supporting the reusable filfier mounted in the dust-collecting chamber in at
least
two positions.
The second and third fixing guides protrude inwardly from the sidewalls of
the dust-collecting chamber, and the reusable filter has first and second
guide
grooves formed on an outer wall thereof, the second and third fixing guides
slidably
fit into the first and second guide grooves.
The reusable filter comprises a filter body including a front surface having a
first opening; upper and lower surfaces extending from upper and lower sides
of the
front surface; side-surfaces extending from both sides of the front surface
and having
first and second guide grooves formed therein; and a rear surface extending
from the
upper and lower surfaces, and both side-surfaces, and having a second opening;
a
door hinged on the front surface and pivoting to open and close the first
opening,
and having a passage hole formed at a center thereof, the passage hole being
in
fluid communication with the air inflow hole of the dust-collecting chamber; a
rear
filter ; and a fixing means for removably mounting the rear filter over the
second
opening.
The fixing means includes: a filter mounting portion having four pieces which
extend inwardly from the second opening to support the upper, lower, right,
and left
surfaces and a rear surface edge of the rear filter; a rib having fixing
grooves
disposed at right, left, and lower sides of the second opening: and a fixing
frame
fitted into the fixing grooves of the rib, for supporting a front surface edge
of the rear
filter.
The filter body optionally has a pair of holding grooves formed on an upper
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surface thereof to assist the user in handling the cover.
Also, the reusable filter alternately comprises a filter body including a
front
surface having an opening; a lower surface extending from a Lower side of the
front
surface; side-surfaces extending from both sides of the front surface and
having first
and second guide grooves formed thereon; a rear surface extending from the
lower
surface and both side-surfaces; and a cover removably connected with the
opening
of the filter body, the filter being made of porous plastic and thus
functioning as a
filter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cleaner body of the vacuum cleaner
of FiG. 1;
FIGS. 3A and 3B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view, respectively,
showing a paper filter mounted in the dust-collecting charnber of a vacuum
cleaner
as a dust-collecting means in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a reusable filter employed in
a vacuum cleaner as a dirt-collecting means according to the preferred
embodiment
of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the reusable filter of FIG. 4 with the
cover opened in an assembled state;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing a filter supporting means for the
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reusable filter of FIG. 5;
FIGS. 7A and 7B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view, respectively,
showing the reusable fitter of FIG. 4 mounted in the dust-collecting chamber
of a
vacuum cleaner as a dirt-collecting means in accordance with the preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a
reusable filter employed in a vacuum cleaner as a dust-collecting means in
accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 9A and 9B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view, respectively,
showing the reusable filter of FIG. 8 mounted in the dust-collecting chamber
of a
vacuum cleaner as a dirt-collecting means according to the preferred
embodiment of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The above object and advantages of the present invention become more
apparent by the following description of the preferred embodiments of the
present
invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FiG. 1 shows a vacuum cleaner according to the preferred embodiment of
the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner comprises a
cleaner
body 100, a paper filter 200 and first and second reusable filters 300 and 400
comprising a dust-collecting means. The paper filter 200 is disposable and may
be
replaced with a new filter when the used paper filter is full of dirt. The
first and
second filters 300 and 400 are reusable, and can be emptied out when filled
with dirt.
In the present invention, both the paper filter 200 and the reusable filters
300 and
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400 are separately employed and selectively used.
As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaner body 100 comprises a motor chamber 110
and a dust-collecting chamber 120. )n the motor chamber 110 is mounted a
vacuum motor 500 (FIG. 3A) that acts as a vacuum-generating device.
Selectively
mounted in the dust-collecting chamber 120 is the paper filter 200, the first
reusable
filter 300, or the second reusable filter 400.
The motor chamber 110 and the dust-collecting chamber 120 are divided
from each other by a partition 130, and are in fluid communication with each
other
via a passage path, such as apertures 131, formed on the partition 130. The
dust-
collecting chamber 120 is provided with an air inflow hole 140 having access
to the
outside. For example, the air inflow hole 140 is connected to a suction port
600 via
an extension pipe 700.
Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the dust-collecting chamber 120 of the cleaner
body 100 is provided with a filter supporting means 150 for supporting either
the
paper filter 200 or one of the reusable filters 300 and 400, to maintain a
stable
mounting condition for the paper filter 200 and the permanent filters 300 and
400,
regardless of which filter is mounted in the dust-collecting chamber 120. Due
to the
presence of the filter supporting means 150, the air inflow hole 140 and
passage
holes 221, 321, 411 (FIG. 1 ) of the paper filter 200 and the permanent
filters 300 and
400, respectively, are aligned with each other.
Referring again to FIG. 2, the filter supporting means 150 comprises a pair of
first fixing guides 151, 152 for supporting the paper filter 200 when mounted
in the
dust-collecting chamber 120, and two pairs of fixing guides, i.e. second
fixing guides
161, 162, and third axing guides 171, 172 for supporting either the reusable
filters
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300 or 400 when mounted in the dust-collecting chamber 120. The first fixing
guides 151 and 152 are disposed at both sidewalls of the air inflow hole 140,
and are
opposed to each other, for receiving a supporting part 220 (see FIGS. 3A and
3B) of
the paper filter 200 therein. The second and third fixing guides 161, 162 and
171,
172 are disposed at both sidewalk of the dust-collecting chamber 120. Second
fixing guides 161, 162 and third fixing guides 171, 172 each comprise pairs
that are
oriented to oppose each other and are separated from each other by a
predetermined separation distance, and are configured to support the reusable
filters
300 and 400 in at least two positions.
The second and third fixing guides 161, 162 and 171, 172, respectively,
protrude inwardly from both sidewalls of the dust-collecting chamber 120.
Correspondingly, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 9B, the first and second reusable
filters
300 and 400, respectively, have first and second guide grooves 314a, 314b,
315a,
315b, and 414a, 414b, 415a, 415b, respectively, formed on an outer-wall
thereof.
The second and third fixing guides 161, 162 and 171, 172 slidably fit in the
first and
second guide grooves 314x, 314b, 315a, 315b and 414a, 414b, 415a, 415b,
respectively.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view showing the
paper filter 200 mounted in the dust-collecting chamber 120 of the cleaner
body 100.
The paper filter 200 comprises a dust-collecting part 210 and a supporting
part 220
that has a passage hole 221. The paper filter 200 is mounted in the dust-
collecting
chamber 120 with the supporting part 220 being supported by the first fixing
guides
151 and 152. The passage hole 221 of the paper filter 200 is mounted in the
dust-
collecting chamber 120 and is in fluid communication with the air inflow hole
140.
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Accordingly, the air including dust and dirt that is drawn in through the air
inflow hole
140 passes through the paper filter 200. At this point, the dust and dirt are
separated and collected from the air by the paper filter 200, while the air is
discharged through the paper filter 200.
FIGS. 4 through 6 are views showing the first reusable filter 300 of the
vacuum cleaner according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
As
shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, the first reusable filter 300 comprises a filter
body 310
having an exterior profile similar to the shape of the dust-collecting chamber
120 of
the cleaner body 100, a door 320, a rear filter 330, and a fixing means 340.
The filter body 310 has a front surface 311 with a first opening 311 a (FIG.
5),
upper and lower surfaces 312 and 313 extending from upper and lower sides of
the
front surface 311, side surfaces 314 and 315 extending from both sides of the
front
surface 311, and a rear surface 316 extending from the upper and lower
surfaces
312 and 313 and the side surfaces 314 and 315, and having a second opening
316a.
In the side surfaces 314 and 315 are provided first and second guide grooves
314a,
314b, 315a, 315b in which the second and third fixing guides 161, 162 and 171,
172
are received. Also, the upper surface 312 is provided with a pair of holding
grooves
312a and 312b for allowing the first reusable filter 300 to be easily mounted
in the
dust-collecting chamber 120.
The door 320 is hinged on the front surface 311 and pivots to open and close
the first opening 311 a, and has the passage hole 321 formed at a center
thereof, for
being in fluid communication with the air inflow hole 140 of the dust-
collecting
chamber 120.
The rear filter 330 is removably mounted in the second opening 316a of the
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rear surface 316 by the fixing means 340 which will be described below. The
rear
filter 330 functions to discharge the air drawn in through the air inflow hole
140
therethrough and simultaneously filter the minute particle dust out of the air
during
the discharging process. Among the various types of the filters that are
available for
use in rear filter 330, the preferred embodiment employs a filter made of
unwoven
fabric, by way of example.
The fixing means 340 comprises a filter mounting portion 341, a rib 342, and
a fixing frame 343. The filter mounting portion 341 comprises four supporting
pieces which are extended inwardly from the second opening 316a for supporting
upper, lower, left and right surfaces of the rear filter 330. Each supporting
piece has
a bending portion formed at an end thereof, for supporting a rear surface edge
of the
rear filter 330. The rib 342 is disposed at an outside of the second opening
316a,
i.e., right, left and lower sides of the second opening 316a. The rib 342 is
provided
with a fixing groove 342a. The fixing frame 343 is configured and shaped in
the
form of a square so as to be inserted into the fixing groove 342a of the rib
342. The
width of a side of the fixing frame 343 is larger than the depth of the fixing
groove
342a. Accordingly, when the fixing frame 343 is fitted into the fixing groove
342a of
the rib 342 after the filter 330 is mounted on the filter-mounting portion
341, the fixing
frame 343 supports a front surface edge of the filter 330 to maintain the
mounting of
the filter 330. The filter 330 is separated from the filter-mounting portion
341 by
removing the fixing frame 343 from the rib 342.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view showing the first
reusable filter 300 mounted in the dust-collecting chamber 120 of the cleaner
body
100. As shown in the FIGS. 7A and 7B, the first reusable filter 300 is mounted
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the dust-collecting chamber 120 in a manner such that the second and third
fixing
guides 161, 162 and 171, 172 of the dust-collecting chamber 120 are inserted
into
the first and second guide grooves 314a, 314b and 315a, 315b, respectively,
disposed on the side surfaces 314 and 315 of the first reusable filter 300.
Accordingly, the first reusable filter 300 has a passage hole 321 aligned with
the air
inflow hole 140 of the dust-collecting chamber 120 when mounted within the
dust-
collecting chamber 120.
When the vacuum motor 500 is driven, the air, including the dust and dirt, is
drawn in through the suction port 600 and flows into the first reusable filter
300
l0 through the air inflow hole 140 and the passage hole 321. The dust and dirt
are
filtered and collected from the air by the first reusable filter 300, while
the clean air is
discharged out through the filter 330. Meanwhile, the first reusable filter
300 is
removed from the dust-collecting chamber 120 to be emptied out when filled
with dirt,
and is then re-mounted in the dust-collecting chamber 120 to be re-used.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the second reusable filter 400 mounted
in the vacuum cleaner according to another preferred embodiment of the present
invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the second reusable filter 400 comprises a
filter body
410 having an opened upper end and a cover 420 removably connected with the
opened upper end of the filter body 410.
The filter body 410 has the same exterior profile as the first reusable filter
300 described above, i.e., similar to the inner shape of the dust-collecting
chamber
120 of the cleaner body 100. More specifically, the filter body 410 includes a
front
surface 412 having a passage hole 411, a lower surface 413 extending from a
lower
side of the front surtace 412, side surfaces 414 and 415 extending from both
sides of
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the front surface 412 and having first and second guide grooves 414a, 414b and
415a, 415b for receiving the second and third fixing guides 161, 162 and 171,
172 of
the dust-collecting chamber 120 therein, and a rear surface 416 extending from
the
lower surface 413 and both side surfaces 414 and 415. The filter body 410 of
the
second reusable filter 400 is made of porous plastic. Therefore, an extra
filter is not
required as the filter body 410 functions as a filter.
The cover 420 is provided to empty out the second reusable filter 400 when
the second reusable filter 400 is full of dirt. Preferably, the cover 420 is
made of
porous plastic, but this should not be considered as limiting. The cover 420
is
provided with holding grooves 421 a and 421 b formed on an upper surtace of
the
cover 420 to permit a user to hold the cover 420 during the emptying process.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view showing the
second reusable filter 400 mounted in the dust-collecting chamber 120 of the
cleaner
body 100. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the second reusable Biter 400 is
mounted
in the dust-collecting chamber 120 in a manner that the second and third
fixing
guides 161, 162 and 171, 172 of the dust-collecting chamber 120 are inserted
into
respective first and second guide grooves 414a, 414b and .415a, 415b disposed
on
the side surfaces 414 and 415 of the second reusable filter 400. Accordingly,
the
second reusable filter 400 includes a passage hole 411 aligned with the air
inflow
hole 140 of the dust-collecting chamber 120, when mounted in the dust-
collecting
chamber 120.
When the vacuum motor 500 is driven, the dust and dirt-laden air is drawn in
through the suction port 600 and flows into the second reusable filter 400 via
the air
inflow hole 140 and the passage hole 411 of the second reusable filter 400.
The
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dust and dirt are filtered and collected from the air by the second reusable
filter 400,
while the clean air is discharged through the rear surface of the second
reusable
filter 400. At this point, since the second reusable filter 400 is made of
porous
plastic or other similar material, the air easily passes through the second
reusable
filter 400. Meanwhile, the second reusable filter 400 may be removed from the
dust-collecting chamber 120 to be emptied out when filled with dirt and is re-
mounted
in the dust-collecting chamber 120 to be re-used.
According to the present invention, a vacuum cleaner that can use either the
paper filter 200 or the reusable filter 300 or 400 is provided. Thus, the
consumer
can use either the paper filter 200, the reusable filter 300, or the second
reusable
filter 400, selectively.
When the paper filter 200 can not be used because it is full of dirt, the user
may instead use either the reusable filters 300 or 400 without replacing the
paper
filter 200 with a new filter. Unlike the disposable paper filter 200, the
reusable filters
300 and 400 are re-usable by removing the dirt from the reusable filters 300
and 400.
Accordingly, the user is not required to purchase a new filter.
According to the present invention, as both of the paper filter 200 and the
reusable filters 300 and 400 can be selectively mounted in one vacuum cleaner,
manufactures are allowed to focus more on the research and development for
this
vacuum cleaner alone. Accordingly, there is the advantage of reducing the
investment in the development of products and equipment. Also, from the
standpoint of the consumer, it is also advantageous as there is no need for
purchase
or handling of additional paper filters, and thus there are less maintenance
and repair
costs for the vacuum cleaner.
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Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been
illustrated
and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the
present
invention should not be limited to the described preferred embodiments, but
various
changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the
present
invention as defined by the appended claims.
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